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CAT Boots Make Tracks

Bozell Worldwide will launch in October the first U.S. ad campaign for the Caterpillar Footwear Group. Bozell became lead agency on the $15 million global account in June. The New York shop will target males aged 16-24 for the the Rockford, Mich-based division of Wolverine World Wide, introducing the CAT boot as a durable yet hip work shoe. The print and outdoor ads associate the well-known Caterpillar heavy equipment brand with the namesake boot, which is popular in Europe but relatively unknown in the U.S. Wolverine licenses the Caterpillar name from the Peoria, Ill.-based manufacturer. The first execution, which breaks in October issues of publications such as Spin, Vibe and Detour, shows a pair of bulldozer tracks leading up to the door of a biker bar. A second ad will show similar tracks leading up to a nightclub where a line of people are waiting outside. The headline reads, “Wherever Caterpillar goes, Caterpillar goes. The ads end with the tagline, “Earthmoving equipment.” “This advertising is an attempt to talk to a multi-constituent consumer base, ranging from rockers to anarchists to fashion-conscious people to blue-collar workers,” said Rodney Underwood, a Bozell creative director. “We wanted to reflect how the Caterpillar boot empowers the consumer,” said Christi Cowdin, Caterpillar marketing manager. Caterpillar’s international competitors include Timberland and Dr. Martens. Bozell handles worldwide creative duties, and media planning and buying in the U.S.